Loading and unloading system for blenders and the like



June 16, 1964 J. L. MUENCH LOADING AND UNLOADING SYSTEM FOR BLENDERS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 9, 1961 June 16, 1964 3,137,327

LOADING AND UNLOADING SYSTEM FOR BLENDERS .AND THE LIKE J. L. MUENCHk 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 9, 1961 INVENTOR. JOHN L NUE/VCH 1||| F llllfrl Mun- ATTORNEY United StateSPatent l 3,137,327 l LOADING AND UNLOADING SYSTEM FORY BLENDERS AND THE LIKE .lohn L. Muench, Short Hills, NJ., assignor to General Machine Company of New Jersey, Inc., Newark, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey o Filed Jan.' 9,1961, Ser. No. 81,401 3 Claims.- (Cl. 141-1720 The present invention relates to va mechanism for loading and vunloading rotatable blenders, in which the containers usually of cylindrical type are moved underthe blender by means of a platform, cart or roller conveyor on which the container maybe mounted and which'may.

be automatically or manually caused to pass the blender to be emptiedpor iilled and -then removed in similar-Inannervafter the blending operation has been completed and the container has been filled with material from the blender.

In the preferred form ofthe invention, thev open topV container is Vbrought up by suitable elevating mechanisms r 1 ice a 2 Then the same or different container may be attached in the same manner, and' thefdumping sequence is carf riedVon. v Y i l In thissequence, vthe valve is opened withthecontainer attached thereto and with the container `in upright posi-y tion.

The blender may be dumped bypermitting it to move `through the lower 45 or v90 the container attached thereto, and the valve" opened or a shakerpor vibrator may be employed.

Desirably, the sequence ofopening and closinglthe valve Yduring the respective loading and unloading operationsv may be accomplished by cam arrangements on the' main shaft whichwill actuate .valves or micro-switches' connectedto electrical motors or hydraulic or pneumatic o cylinders operating the ,valvey arrangement as Well as a which may consist of pneumatic or hydraulic lifting or clamping elements or even screw actuators or elevators.

Desirably, the blender which may kbe of double conical shapemounted on side trunnions has a-clean out-side at one of its narrow dimensions or diameters and has a valve side at its other narrow or smaller dimension or diameter. o

In operationgthe valve side will beton top, andthe valve will be closed except during filling ordischarging of blending.

The clean out side will normallyvbe on the bottom and only on top when theV container is being attached or detached from the valve side of the blender.

Desirably, when the containerhaving therein Athe material to be discharged into the blender isl transported under the blender withthevalve side down, theplatfvor'm or other carrier of the container is caused to move up until the open'top of the container is clamped tightly against the valve case. l This maybe accomplished by having hydraulic orl pneumatic cylinders or other actuators connected on each side of the container and also extending to the platform or At this stage, the blendery will have passed throughY 360, and the container will be in vertical lowermost position and may be manually or automatically released by means of the carrier or platform as the case may be as a result of the release movement of the pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders.

Usually, the valve will be open at the top of the circuit, and desirably for at least 90 or 120 across the top of the circuit, and the valve may be opened or closed gradually above 90 on the way up and before 90 on the way down. f

It is also possible to stop the loading movement of the blender so that the container may be held ininverted vertical position or only slowly moved through the dumping position at 180 to its initial attachment position.

After the container has been dumped and then released, the blender is operated without the container attached thereto until the operation is completed.

hydraulic vorpnexrrnatic lowering or elevating mechanismV for the'drurnv Vcarrier or platform.. Y

With the foregoing and otherobjectsiin view, the in-y ventioni'consists ofthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of partsas hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in thelaccompanyingV drawings, wherein is shown anvembodiment vofthe invention, but

' it is to be understoodthat changes, variations and modiiications can be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereunto appended. yo In the drawings, wherein like reference characters denotejcorresponding parts throughoutA the v several views :v

FIG. 1 is end elevationalview of the blender showing-the containerattachment system. v o n i FIG. 2 is a side elevational view taken at 90 from the showing of FIG; 1.

' Referring'to FIG. 1,V the blender shell :A hasa man-l hole cleaning opening or cover B and an automatically ,or hydraulically actuated arrangementC.-`

The container has the bearing runnion D andthey drive trunnion" EV which are, mountedr upon the VVside triangular support structures Fand G. Y Y o The connecting pipe H for admitting or removing suitableruid orgels` into the :shell -A,may. be provided with a rotating, tight joint connectionf'l (see FIG. 1) and with a drive motor K mounted` on the platform structure L. The reduction box arrangement M is positioned closely yadjacent to the motor associated with therdrive trunnion with the automatic stop and positioning element N which forms no part of this invention but which is used as a valve control lever to open and control the movement of the blender.

The switch'or lever yarrangement P ymay be utilized' to slow or control the movement.

The container Q whichmay be of a large size Q1 or -a small size Q2 is provided with the platform orcarrier R which may have a series of rollers S and side stand legs T.

The platform or or lower the carrier R together withl the containers.

The actuator which may include hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders X is Vpositioned atthe side housing C.

The starter button and electrical controls may be posio platform Rand the legs T which may carry the container Q on a conveyor, onwheelsor on the rollers S.

When the container Q is moved under the valve cham- 'l ber C`by manual or :automatic means, the cylinders V- may be caused to elevate the platform R and clamp it over the top V20 of the container Q1 against the peripho carrierR is provided withl theside pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders or motors V to elevatev of the valve eral gasket 21 or other sealing means at the lower part of the valve housing as is shown diagrammatically partly -in section in FIG. 2.

K The sealing ring 2 2 may be provided around the container.

-The gasket 21 should be 0f sufficient Width so as t0 match the top of the various diameters of containers to be used.

The container when gripped or clamped against the valve housing C may then be removed from the runway or conveyor indicated by the arrows 23 and 24.

The connections at 25 and 26 of the piston rods WA to the carrier platform R will hold the container tightly up against the valve housing C.

The blender then may be caused torotate as indicated by the circular dot and dash line 27 to a position 180 away as indicated by the dot and dash lines at the top of FIG. 2.

As the blender is then caused to rotate, the contact of the cams 28 and 29 against the swinging member N may actuate the valve motor X to open'or close the same at a position above that indicated by the arrow 30 and at a position below that indicated by the arrow 31.

The pneumatic pressure in the cylinders V as well as in the motor X may be controlled by means of the control means 32 at the side of the blender, and the positioner motor or control 33 shown in FIG. 2 can control the positioning of the blender shell A.

The blender then will return the container Q1 to the lowermost position indicated at the bottom of FIGS. 1 and 2. A

As this is being accomplished, Athe valve C has been closed and the platform R may be lowered.

The blender then may be caused to rotate to complete the blender operation, and when theblending is completed, the container Q may again be attached andY the blender shell dumped by means of the pneumatic or hydraulic motors V.

As soon as the blender has been dumped, the valve C again is closed, and the container is removed.

As many changes could be made in the above loading and unloading system for blenders and the like, and

many Widely different embodiments of this invention.

could be made Without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

1. In a rotatable blender of the type having a support structure and a central cylindrical structure with end conical portions,. said end portions converging away from the cylindrical central structure and said conicalportions having a manhole cleaning cover `at one end portion, an inlet and outlet opening at the other end portion, a trunnion structure carrying the central structure, said trunnion structure being carried by said support structure, and a drive motor on said support structure to rotate said blender on said trunnion structure; a combination therewith of a loading'isystem having a platform` positioned adjacent and below the inlet and outlet, actuating cylinders positioned alongside and connecting and extending between the sides of the opening and the sides of the platform, said cylinders moving said platform toward and away from said inlet and outlet opening, said platform receiving a material container to be clamped against said opening and`to dump material into and receive material from-said opening and means on said platform to permit said container to be moved thereon and therefrom.

2. The blender of claim 1, said blender being provided with an automatic stopping and positioning element to control the position of the blender and to stop it in vertical position. f

3. The system of claim 1, said platform being provided with side leg members to support the same and said means on said platform to permit-said container to be moved consisting of a plurality of -rollers between the Y actuating cylinders permitting the container to be rolled onto and oft of the platform.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESv PATENTS 

1. IN A ROTATABLE BLENDER OF THE TYPE HAVING A SUPPORT STRUCTURE AND A CENTRAL CYLINDRICAL STRUCTURE WITH END CONICAL PORTIONS, SAID END PORTIONS CONVERGING AWAY FROM THE CYLINDRICAL CENTRAL STRUCTURE AND SAID CONICAL PORTIONS HAVING A MANHOLE CLEANING COVER AT ONE END PORTION, AN INLET AND OUTLET OPENING AT THE OTHER END PORTION, A TRUNNION STRUCTURE CARRYING THE CENTRAL STRUCTURE, SAID TRUNNION STRUCTURE BEING CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE, AND A DRIVE MOTOR ON SAID SUPPORT STRUCTURE TO ROTATE SAID BLENDER ON SAID TRUNNION STRUCTURE; A COMBINATION THEREWITH OF A LOADING SYSTEM HAVING A PLATFORM POSITIONED ADJACENT AND BELOW THE INLET AND OUTLET, ACTUATING CYLINDERS POSITIONED ALONGSIDE AND CONNECTING AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SIDES OF THE OPENING AND THE SIDES OF THE PLATFORM, SAID CYLINDERS MOVING SAID PLATFORM TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID INLET AND OUTLET OPENING, SAID PLATFORM RECEIVING A MATERIAL CONTAINER TO BE CLAMPED AGAINST SAID OPENING AND TO DUMP MATERIAL INTO AND RECEIVE MATERIAL FROM SAID OPENING AND MEANS ON SAID PLATFORM TO PERMIT SAID CONTAINER TO BE MOVED THEREON AND THEREFROM. 